With Yaba Odongo Odoyo (photo byline)

Let human reality prevail to stop the continued conflicts in the country that has bled far too long. Innocent lives and unaccounted property highly valued have gone to shambles due to the wrath of political might. Time and again, the current leadership and honest partners have appealed for calm and round-the-table dialogues with limited success.

It is well articulated on peace initiatives and desires that President Salva Kiir Mayardit’s mission is to have peace restored in all parts of the country. He has time and again echoed these concerns publicly, both in the local and international forums and vowed never to lead the country back to war again. However, these efforts have met some presided and designed actions against all odds of socio-economic stability the country would wish to have for the well-being of the general public.

Decades of liberation wars should have taught the entire nation the need to have a one strong nation and one President where discontented minds are brought to the table for dialogue. Surely, there must be discipline and order in the management of a country that can only be achieved through all collective participation and patriotism. Some government critics may argue otherwise and true, they have their well-versed reasons. Common justice demands that a country can have only one leader and that leader be supported through goodwill, not backstabbed. Most countries the world-over have their good and bad sides, the latter can only be corrected with collective participation by all players. There cannot be two centres of power in a country.

This is why patriotism is required to handle and solve the cores of moribund issues currently being faced. To achieve the prosperity and prospects of socio-economic development, it is on record that President Kiir has done what an honest leader should do to his people supported with like minds, the UNIMISS, AU, IGAD and the Troika countries, with the regional bloc equally playing their part in the peace process. These efforts are being derailed by some forces who do not want peace to prevail in the country. There is a saying that “If you want to walk faster, walk alone and if you want to go far, walk together” which reminded me of a bible verse which says “God does not reward able men, he rewards faithful men”.

It is for us to critically look into these saying and examine ourselves with the aim of finding out our position within our communities. The President needs to be supported with people tested and valued to have the interests of the general public at heart. Recent changes in the political administration is yet to produce positive results, but going with some reports from the ground pointed a finger to the appointment of Benjamin Bol Mel who within a short period of time did put efforts to have some pending salaries paid to the forces and public servants.

Although l only have sketchy information on this and being against my principles to drum-beat a single cause, there is need to call a spade a spade not a big spoon. That a single person can bring hope, is another dimension which the leadership should stick to if the changes are meant to bring peace and stability in the country. Focus should be directed on the problems facing the community development process in South Sudan, which include the “absence of good infrastructure and skilled labor, heavy dependency on oil revenues, and corruption.” In addition, the majority of civil servants lack formal education and training as a result of decades of war. It is therefore important to find out what goes into socio economic status which to my mind and thoughts indicates:-  a way of describing people based on their education, income, and type of job. Socio-economic status is usually described as low, medium, and high. People with a lower socio-economic status usually have less access to financial, educational, social, and health resources than those with a higher status.

My take is that we should support the sitting government collectively instead of putting our own political interests above the common-man. Independently, l have been privileged to come across few literatures by some socio-economic minds like Dr. addis Ababa Othow, Barnaba Bak Chol and Simon Akuei Deng among others who are out there with economic power brains and whose work and thoughts should not be left to go to waste but be nurtured and compounded to build up the status of the economic growth. There are so many good proposals by the elites in different fields of developments which are yet to be discovered and put to use. The President, needs assistance along this line to succeed instead of all the “time” conflicts and internal wars orchestrated by foreign forces. Not only here, but the whole of the continent must be wary of these external forces whose interests are only based on the continuation of enslaving the continent under the guise of supporting the cause of democracy and human rights with dangled carrots for those ready to swallow the bait at the expense of the common-man and the rule of law.

The biggest concern by the UN, is that the country is on the brink of civil war, and as a result, the fragile peace is at risk. Since gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, the world’s youngest nation has been plagued by conflict and instability ever since. Mounting violence, rising ethnic tensions, diplomatic efforts stalled and recommitment to peace. Are some of the factors which must be addressed for effective move on the way forward. These efforts cannot be left to one person alone as it is for the entire population and the country to preach and enjoy the much-needed peace.

Yaba (Jaduong) Odongo Odoyo is a leading   commentator, writer and established Editor with long standing career in journalism and the media industry internationally. The comments and insights shared are his own. You can contact him at +211921351878, +254795226883or e-mail: odoyo2002@gmail.com.